Best Red Velvet Cake

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I did a lot of recipe testing for this much-requested cake but in the end I lightly adapted the recipe for the batter from a New York Times recipe. Wonderful moist fluffy sponge, and I loved the typo saying it made 8 inch layers! LOL, even the best of us make mistakes…Check out my Chocolate Beet Cake to see what happens when you skip the food coloring!

Pro Tips for the Best Red Velvet Cake

• Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
• If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
• Skip the food coloring if you want a great tasting cake that isn’t red.
• To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
• For nice uniform crumbs for decorating use the fine grater, or just whip out that cheese grater!
• This recipe makes an AWESOME sheet cake! You’ll save tons of time and you can pour less sugar into the cream cheese frosting since you won’t have to worry about consistency. I would use approximately a 9×13 inch pan if you’re making this as a sheet cake.

Frequently asked questions

How do you decorate a cake?

I covered the outside in crumbs and topped it with delicate buttercream flowers for some extra visual oomph. A definite time saver would be to pipe some cream cheese  frosting dollops on top or make a rope pattern like I used in my dulce de leche cake.

If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video. I’ve got a Buttercream flower tutorial up on the blog as well! Check it out 

Is a Red Velvet Cake Just a Chocolate Cake?

It’s a much lighter chocolate cake with a tangy note from the cream cheese frosting. Some people have stopped adding chocolate to the batter as it interferes with the desired bright red color. It’s the vinegar that makes a huge difference, acid reacts with the leavening agents to give you a fluffier cake.

What is the difference between chocolate cake and red velvet cake?

Aside from having MUCH less chocolate, a red velvet cake will also have vinegar and buttermilk in the batter, which reacts with the leavening agents to give you a fluffier cake. Originally the cakes had a dusty maroon hue from the acid reacting with cocoa powder but as time went on that became a bright red color with the addition of red dye to the batter.

What Is The Flavor Of Red Velvet Cake?

Red velvet cake is indeed a very mild chocolate flavor since it possesses very little cocoa powder. The main flavor note actually comes from the cream cheese frosting. You’re getting bites of fluffy moist cake with a very creamy delicate frosting giving a really wonderful mouthfeel.

How to make Red Velvet Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and cocoa powder three 6-inch cake pans. Add 1 cupcake paper to a pan. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter. Add in sugar and mix on medium until combined. Add eggs in one at a time and beat. Add vanilla extract.

2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking soda then whisk together and set aside.

3. Sift the cocoa powder into the butter mixture and cream together. 

4. Add red food coloring and vinegar to the buttermilk then whisk together. 

5. Add ½ of the dry and ½ of the wet to the butter mixture until combined. Add the red buttermilk mixture and beat. Pour the batter into the three prepared pans. Add any extra batter to a cupcake paper. This will be used for the crumble. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. Bake the crumble cupcake for about 15-20 minutes. When done, let them cool in their pans for about 5 minutes, then invert them out onto a wire rack. 

6. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Sift confectioners sugar into a large bowl. Add room temperature cream cheese to the creamed butter. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat together. Add the confectioners sugar in cups. Mix until combined. If you’re wanting a stronger buttercream, keep adding more sifted confectioners sugar until you reach a desired consistency. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag and snip off the tip. 

7. To create the crumbs, you can either break up the cupcake by hand or use a grater. I find that using the grater gives you a more consistent crumb for decorating.

8. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter until smooth. Sift in the confectioner’s sugar. Beat until you get to a desired consistency. Add the rose water. Make sure the buttercream is thick. Dye a few batches yellow, soft pink and pink. Use some matcha powder to create a natural leaf color. Transfer the green buttercream to a bag fitted with a 68 tip. Cut a square of parchment paper. Use a tiny bit of buttercream to glue down the paper onto a piping nail. For the roses, place a small cone of very thick buttercream in the middle of the square. Add bits of yellow in the middle for added dimension. Pipe the petals using a 127 tip.

9. Pipe a thick layer of cream cheese frosting between each layer. Cover the cake in frosting.

10. Use a bench scraper and offset spatula to smooth out the cake. Transfer to the fridge to chill for about 10 minutes or until the frosting is a bit set. If you’re in a warm climate, let your cake chill for even longer!

11. Using your hand, scoop crumbs onto the side and top of the cake until it’s completely covered.

12. Arrange the flowers on top of the cake. Pipe in leaves using the green buttercream.

If you’ve tried this recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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Best Red Velvet Cake

A light chocolate cake with a moist, fluffy crumb and decadent cream cheese frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 370 kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake:

• ½ cup butter 113 grams, room temperature,
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 10mL
• 1 cup buttermilk 240ml, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vinegar 15mL
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder 15g
• 2 ½ cups flour 300g
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 300g
• 2 tsp powdered red food coloring
• 1 tsp kosher salt 6g
• 1 tsp baking soda 6g

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 3 sticks butter 340g, room temperature unsalted
• 1 ½ lb confectioners sugar 550g, sifted
• 16 oz cream cheese 455g, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL
• 1 pinch kosher salt

For the American Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113g, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups Confectioners sugar 550g, sifted
• 1/2 tsp rose water 2mL
• pink, yellow, orange food coloring
• matcha powder

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and cocoa powder three 6-inch cake pans.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream your room temperature butter. Add in sugar and mix on medium until combined.
3. Add eggs in one at a time and beat. Add vanilla extract.
4. Add red food coloring and vinegar to the buttermilk.
5. Sift in cocoa powder to the butter mixture.
6. In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.
7. Add ½ of the dry and ½ of the wet to the butter mixture until combined.
8. Add the red buttermilk mixture and mix until combined.

9. Pour the batter into three prepared pans. Add any extra batter to a cupcake paper. This will be used for the crumble. Add damp baking strips. 

10. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. When done, let them cool in their pans for about 5 minutes, then dump them out onto a wire rack.
11. Bake the crumble cupcake for about 15-20 minutes.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Cream the butter. Sift confectioners sugar into a large bowl.
2. Add room temperature cream cheese to the creamed butter. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat together.
3. Add the confectioners sugar in cups. Mix until combined. If you’re wanting a stronger buttercream, keep adding more sifted confectioners sugar until it’s stiff. Transfer buttercream to a piping bag and snip off the tip.

For the American Buttercream:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter until smooth.
2. Sift in the confectioner’s sugar. You can add the sugar in two batches.
3. Beat until you get to a desired consistency. Add a few drops of rose water. Make sure the buttercream is thick.
4. Dye a few batches yellow, soft pink and pink. Use some matcha powder to create a natural leaf color. Transfer the green buttercream to a bag fitted with a 68 tip.

5. Transfer buttercream to piping bag fitted with a 120 and 127 tip to make the petals.

6. Cut a square of parchment paper. Use a tiny bit of buttercream to glue down the paper onto a piping nail.
7. For the roses, place a small cone of very thick buttercream in the middle of the square.

8. Add bits of yellow in the middle for added dimension. Pipe the petals using a 120 and 127 tip.

For the Assembly:

1. To create the crumbs, you can either break up the cupcake by hand or use a cheese grater. I find that using the grater gives you a more consistent crumb for decorating.

2. Pipe a thick layer of cream cheese frosting between each layer. Cover the cake in frosting.
3. Use a bench scraper and offset spatula to smooth out the cake. Transfer to the fridge to chill for about 10 minutes or until the frosting is a bit set. If you’re in a warm climate, let your cake chill for even longer!
4. Using your hand, scoop crumbs onto the side and top of the cake until it’s completely covered.
5. Arrange the flowers on top of the cake. Pipe in leaves using the green buttercream.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
• Skip the food coloring if you want a great tasting cake that isn't red.
• To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set online or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
• For nice uniform crumbs for decorating use the fine grater, or just whip out that cheese grater!

Nutrition Facts

Best Red Velvet Cake

Amount Per Serving (3 oz)

Calories 370 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 9g45%

Cholesterol 15mg5%

Sodium 390mg16%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Sugar 37g41%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 200IU4%

Vitamin C 6.6mg8%

Iron 1.4mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.